** Indicates rolling admission application process. Applicants will be immediately notified of acceptance into this program and be able to complete post-decision materials prior to the term's application deadline.

Program Overview

London, England has long been known as the birthplace of fashion trends, from the heyday of Rock-n-Roll and the Beatles slim-fit suits and Chelsea boots, to the impeccable class of Lady Diana’s personal style. London is also known as a shopping mecca for the world. The diverse and unique fashion retail environments run the gamut from Shoreditch’s Box Park (pop-up boutiques in up-cycled locomotive boxcars) to Spitafeld’s and Camden’s Markets to the elite environments of Harrod’s and Selfridges. Oxford Square, Regent Street, Picadilly Circus … experience them all and investigate the how’s and why’s of fashion retailing in London. Saville Row, the home of impeccable be-spoke men’s clothing and Carnaby Street, home to fun, funky streetwise style are all part of the itinerary.

Experiencing London, you will analyze the impact of societal norms on fashion retailing, define the various forms of fashion retailing and their impact on the culture and economic health of the city; discover the profound differences between the US and UK in this business; identify how trends develop on the streets and make their way to the stores; define the impact of street culture on the fashion retailing business; discover and research the “Market Culture” of London; research and identify how young start-up designers gain retail traction and establish themselves ; define the impact of the vintage and thrift / up-cycle retailers in the London fashion retailing world; identify the impact of “bespoke” fashion on the overall retailing environment and it’s place in British society; discover the history of fashion retailing in London by being exposed to the legacy of fashion retail powerhouses such as Selfridges and Harrods as you tour their “megastores”; explore the British historical culture and define the overt juxtaposition of “old versus new” as it exists Side-by-Side in London; Define the unique purpose of “Concept Stores” such as the Dover Street Market…Gallery? Retailer ?or “Place to be Seen?”…and Most of All…You will EXPERIENCE LONDON in a new current way!

Location

There is no other city in the world like London. The unique juxtaposition of a cathedral built in the 1500's next to a stark modern high-rise, a market culture that is as vibrant as any metropolitan shopping district, the Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace (which you will get to observe) and the post-workday pub life on Carnaby Street...it is all what makes London so unique and so entertaining! Experiencing the fashion retail life of London, such as we have described above, is not like any other city in the fact that what has developed and made a lasting impact has stayed and continued to evolve with the ever-changing world of fashion, rather than being replaced...the retailers have reinvented.. Therefore, you have Harrods, world-famous mega-store thriving and looking ever-new...while a young upstart designer is just as important sharing their wares in a converted train car in Box Park. In August, the "world" goes on holiday in London, being there during this time is an incredible international experience. The city is one of the easiest to traverse with a very user-friendly rail system known as "The Tube!" Once you are there, you will know the meaning of the famous saying, "Mind the Gap." Everyone should visit London in their lifetime and this is your chance to do just that!

Who Can Participate?

The majority of our course will be the trip itself. A diverse combination of majors are encouraged to apply and your individual research will be linked to your field of study and how it relates to fashion retailing and the environment that is uniquely London. The format of the course is a comparative exposition into the world of European fashion retailing, specific to the London fashion environment, as well as an immersion into the social and cultural environment of London during the Summer Holiday Season when the World Comes to London! Participating students will meet physically/virtually prior to the trip and complete pre-work based upon their planned experiences. Following the trip, in Fall Semester, 2019, students will complete and present their individual projects which will be researched during their time in London. This will be done in live class format if the student is on campus, or virtual via Facetime/Skype. The actual trip itself is being conducted between Summer and Fall Semesters, 2019 (August 14-21, 2019) in order for any student, no matter their co-op or academic schedule, to be able to attend. The trip is open to any academic major. Students are required to have completed at least their Freshman year and be considered a Sophomore for the 2018-19 academic year to attend. Graduate students are also encouraged to apply.

An interview with the professor Wilson is required for admission into this program.

Academic Program and Course Information

All students in this program are required to enroll in DAAP2023-001 for 3 credits for fall 2019. This course is open to all students in all colleges.

Tuition and fees are assessed based on total enrolled hours for a term. This includes the hours associated with the study abroad class. Students who enroll for more than 18 hours for the term will be assessed additional per credit hour fees over and above the flat fees associated with being enrolled full-time (for most students full-time is 12-18 hours).

Co-op students selected to participate in this program are required to enroll in the course during the designated term, regardless of when the student may be on co-op. If the course is during a term when the student is on co-op, tuition and fees will be charged per a student’s residency status and college, based on the part-time per credit hour rate.

A student can see his/her full and part time tuition rates and college fees here (use left-side navigation menu to click into the relevant academic year):https://www.uc.edu/bursar/fees.html

Faculty

Laurie L. Wilson is a seasoned fashion retail executive, serving as the Corporate Director of Fashion Trend Research and Special Events for Mercantile Stores Co., Inc. prior to starting her own consulting firm, L. Wilson Group, LLC. in 1998. Laurie has been conducting tours to fashion markets for students and professionals for years and is very excited to offer London for the first time! Laurie serves DAAP as the Associate Director of Non-Academic Programming handling outreach for the college; she has produced the annual DAAP Fashion Show for 20 years and is the Director of DAAPcamps Summer Design Experience along with teaching courses at DAAP for non-fashion-majors about the fashion industry. She brings a wealth of industry knowledge and connections to your London travel experience.

Living Arrangements

Our travel group will stay in a lovely boutique hotel a half block from Hyde Park and Kensington Park and within walking distance of key areas of London and a block from The Tube which provides you full and easy access to the city. Kensington Palace is under a 10 minute walk from the hotel. The Thistle Kensington provides a traditional English breakfast every morning and is one of the few hotels to have air conditioning! Students will share twin rooms in double (and possibly a triple) occupancy.

Getting There

Students will make their own arrangements to fly to London, arriving at Heathrow Airport (LHR) by 9:00AM London time on the 14th. At the airport, students will meet the group and travel by coach to the hotel together. Likewise, students will make their own return flight arrangements leaving from England on August 21, 2019. A coach to the airport will be provided to get the group there in time for a morning return flight.

This program has been awarded an $600UC International Scholarship (matriculated, UC degree-seeking students only). This brings the posted financial liability of the program down to $1300. A minimum 2.0 UC GPA is required for a student to receive this block scholarship.

Note that both program charges and UC International scholarship will be posted separately on a student’s OneStop bill on the semester in which the course for the study abroad experience is given. Program charges are posted shortly after students commit to the program through the online application process. Scholarships are posted after all students 1) register for the course connected to the study abroad experience, and 2) complete all study abroad online paperwork.

In order to obtain country-specific visa instructions and resources, refer to your host country’s embassy web page. One way to access this information is via the US Department of State’s webpage at: https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en.html

UC International is happy to guide UC faculty, staff and students to possible resources about visas for study abroad. Although, applying for the necessary visa for travel is the responsibility of the individual UC traveler. Entry requirements change frequently, and we advise you to pay close attention to consular updates. It is your responsibility to know and address the requirements for your host study abroad destination.

Applying for a visa can be a complicated process. Some UC travelers choose a third party to assist with this process, for example Travisa or A Briggs (mention UC for a possible discount).

UC faculty, students and staff traveling abroad should register their travel through the US Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to help the U.S. Embassy contact you in an emergency.

All UC students participating in a University of Cincinnati sanctioned or funded international travel program are required to purchase and maintain insurance while abroad. UC International partners with CISI to provide insurance for UC students.